AMD Readies “Thuban” Six-Core Desktop Processor.

Final8y · 1 Sep 2009 at 23:50

Advanced Micro Devices is preparing a desktop processor with six processing engines, sources familiar with the company’s plans revealed. The new central processing units (CPUs) will not be available this year, but are likely to boost performance of AMD’s desktop platforms sometime in 2010.

AMD’s processor code-named Thuban is the company’s first desktop processor with six processing engines. The microprocessors will be compatible with socket AM3 infrastructure and will have integrated dual-channel PC3-10600 (DDR3 1333MHz) memory controller. It is very likely that Thuban processors will retain AMD Phenom II brand name as well as design of the code-named Istanbul chips for servers, thus, will feature 3MB L2 cache (512KB per core) and 6MB of L3 cache. The chips will be made using 45nm SOI fabrication process.

Thuban is a star in the constellation of Draco and it also means “dragon” in Arabian language. The new six-core chip should be compatible with existing AM3 infrastructure (and, quite possibly, even with AM2+ infrastructure with split power plane), it remains to be seen whether Thuban becomes a part of AMD’s current high-end desktop platform called Dragon, or will power the company’s next-generation Leo platform.

AMD’s Leo platform will be based on the AMD 890FX and 890GX core-logic sets. The new chipsets will offer better performance and functionality, e.g., they will support Serial ATA-600, 14 Serial ATA 2.0 ports and so on, but both will only hit mass production in April, 2010, and will be formally released in May next year, according to market sources.

Provided that AMD has its Thuban processors ready before May 2010, the company is likely to start shipping them as soon as possible so that to be able to compete for the high-end desktop segment. In fact, it is somewhat surprising that AMD will only be able to offer six-core desktop chip about a year after it started to ship six-core chips for servers. Nevertheless, based on currently available information, AMD Thuban is due only in Q3 2010.

At present AMD does not position its six-core Opteron processors even for single-socket workstations and recommends its customers among makers of dual-socket workstations to stick to quad-core chips due to their higher clock-speeds compared to existing six-core central processing units. At present AMD’s highest-performance six-core chips operate at 2.80GHz, meanwhile, the fastest quad-core CPUs function at 3.40GHz.

With six physical cores AMD will be able to demonstrate rather high performance in multi-tasking and applications that need to execute numerous threads at once. Moreover, as future video games that rely on DirectX 11 start to arrive, the advantages provided by six-core Thuban and Istanbul processors will be even more apparent.

Intel Corp., the larger rival of AMD, plans to unveil its six-core code-named Gulftown chips for desktops in Q2 2010.

AMD did not comment on the story.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/di...eadies_Thuban_Six_Core_Desktop_Processor.html

gamesaregood · 1 Sep 2009 at 23:58

Very Interesting and great to see that AMD are going to bring Six cores to AM3

theforce · 2 Sep 2009 at 01:07

Quite interesting. Would be interesting to see what frequency / power this processor will use. In addition it would be nice if it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Monkeynut · 2 Sep 2009 at 01:22

3.4GHZ quad at 140 TDP, what's this monster going to use? :eek:

paininlife · 2 Sep 2009 at 03:54

awesome,hope this wil b serious competition to i9 ,and this is wat i been luking for,bcuz m goin to build new pc, but i wz confuse
i7 920 = 1366socket , i9= 1366 ,so if i want to upgrade i can do it easily ,but in AMD i had confusion
AMD Pii 955= AM3 but 6- cores cpu = on AM3? wasnt sure,so i wz more opted for intel ,but nw i gues amd is cheap way to go

theforce · 2 Sep 2009 at 05:06

I thought AMD would have their 32nm process ready by Q2 2010. Intel's hexacore CPU will be 32nm and be based on a better architecture. While a good move from AMD, the company needs a new architecture to compete.

In addition l don't see many more apps adding support for this kind of CPUs unfortunately.

gurusan · 2 Sep 2009 at 06:34

Awesome

SfnX · 2 Sep 2009 at 11:03

hope its a core killer

gl amd

widnesjohn · 2 Sep 2009 at 17:01

its gonna cost so much that intel chip

deusexlumina · 2 Sep 2009 at 17:41

i remember reading that AMD has something in the pipeline that will be able to make all 6 cores work on a single thread, effectively creating one "super core" when needed, cant remember sauce though

'Wes · 2 Sep 2009 at 17:53

Interesting.

PermaBanned · 2 Sep 2009 at 18:08

Monkeynut said:
3.4GHZ quad at 140 TDP, what's this monster going to use?

If you look at the specs for the Istanbul it's promising... i should hope not much more than this, since it's probably what it's based on. I'd be surprised if it wasn't actually the same core. The 2419 EE only uses 40W.

We need software that can actually use this first though, that or it to use single thread-multiple core.

fizzle-187 · 2 Sep 2009 at 19:25

paininlife said:
awesome,hope this wil b serious competition to i9 ,and this is wat i been luking for,bcuz m goin to build new pc, but i wz confuse
i7 920 = 1366socket , i9= 1366 ,so if i want to upgrade i can do it easily ,but in AMD i had confusion
AMD Pii 955= AM3 but 6- cores cpu = on AM3? wasnt sure,so i wz more opted for intel ,but nw i gues amd is cheap way to go

I'm in the same boat, I'm either opting for AMD or Intel, I just have no clue at the moment! Arghhhhh!

lukext · 2 Sep 2009 at 19:58

fizzle-187 said:
I'm in the same boat, I'm either opting for AMD or Intel, I just have no clue at the moment! Arghhhhh!

Yup, im in that boat too. At the moment, I'm edging on Intel X58 and a 920 as it appears that X58 will get 6 cores later on and the intel nehalem architecture seems better than the AMD phenom maybe having more headroom for future chips. This adds a little spice to AM3 though!

milkinc13 · 2 Sep 2009 at 21:24

6 cores, nice upgrade if price is right

stumpy80 · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:33

i think we have gone core crazy when are we going to be happy 20 cores or what .

Quixote · 2 Sep 2009 at 23:42

Definately interested. I'm likely to have a short animated film to render next year.
Unclear if it's going to support AM2+ DDR2 though. That'll be essential to me or I'll make do with a quad.
Also, because it'll be doing everything, not just rendering, i'll want a decent clock speed, at least 2.8ghz.

Pulseammo · 3 Sep 2009 at 00:07

Quixote said:
Definately interested. I'm likely to have a short animated film to render next year.
Unclear if it's going to support AM2+ DDR2 though. That'll be essential to me or I'll make do with a quad.
Also, because it'll be doing everything, not just rendering, i'll want a decent clock speed, at least 2.8ghz.

Yeah I'm wondering about the AM2+ and DDR2 situation with this chip too, Istanbul supports DDR2.

Tolmekian · 3 Sep 2009 at 02:30

This is very interesting to read. Does anyone know if 6 core will make an appearance on socket 1156? I don't believe quad core is all we are going to get on that socket, although i know they are coming out for socket 1366, but then who would pay a premium for i7 on 1366, when you can have 6 core on socket 1156 for around the same price? (Factoring in the cheaper mobos/ram, and upping the price of the cpu) Intel vs intel :confused:

lukext said:
Yup, im in that boat too. At the moment, I'm edging on Intel X58 and a 920 as it appears that X58 will get 6 cores later on and the intel nehalem architecture seems better than the AMD phenom maybe having more headroom for future chips. This adds a little spice to AM3 though!

Im jumping in the boat there with you, we're going to capsize soon.

First i was set on AM3, then tinkered over the idea of 1366 but it's a wee bit expensive for my tastes, finally decided to wait for i5, but now AM3 is back in the running now i can move onto 6 core without upgrading ram/mobo again. Argh decisions!

lukext · 3 Sep 2009 at 11:15

Jason_AJB said:
Im jumping in the boat there with you, we're going to capsize soon.

First i was set on AM3, then tinkered over the idea of 1366 but it's a wee bit expensive for my tastes, finally decided to wait for i5, but now AM3 is back in the running now i can move onto 6 core without upgrading ram/mobo again. Argh decisions!

I was all set for an AM3 based pc, but then after researching a little more, intel 1366 became more tempting. Im personally waiting till 1156 comes out in a couple of days and shakes up the market a bit. My guess is amd will counter with a price drop of some sort and we all might be better off!